HetaOni: Hero
by Everlasting Faerie Light
Summary: America's last moments in HetaOni during the first time loop. Taken from part 10. Rated T for blood and extreme tearjerking moments. Please leave a comment and enjoy. Companion piece to HetaOni: Alone.


It was too late. I could feel it wash over me. The pain was too great…unbearable to the point where I could barely breathe anymore. It was silent. Way too silent. I let out a sigh. I knew that they had stopped breathing moments ago, but it still hurt. It hurt so much to the point where I could barely think straight. Yet, I was okay with it. Because you know what? It's my time as well. I feel it creeping up on me: in strange numbing sensation that was overtaking my body, in the blood that was slowly being drained from my body, in the strange black spots that were coating my vision…

The walls were red. The floor was red. Splattered. Scarlet. Unending.

And I'm okay with that.

It's bound to happen.

I just never thought that it would end like this. I never thought that I'd die as a human. But I guess…England was right. He always told me as a kid that the world works in strange ways. Even if we're nations, we have to go along with the cycle of the strange world.

And that's what I'm doing.

I'm going along with it.

It's time to leave.

I squeeze both their lifeless hands that dangled off of the white beds. No…I can't call them white anymore. They're scarlet. Even in my failing vision I can see that.

I glance at England's face. White. Eyes covered in bandages. Blood. Breathless. Dead. And beautiful. Always beautiful.

I may have been a kid, but I remember taking his hand in that field, where the sun was warm and the air was gentle. I always promised myself that I'd be with him until the very end. Even after he fell to his knees in surrender. I never really left him. I could never leave him. And now here I am.

Holding his hand.

Until the very end.

_I'm so sorry, England. _

And then there was my brother. My dearest twin. I never realized how much he meant to me until he stopped breathing. When he breathed his last, I knew. I knew that he had always cared for me, always looked after me…yet always under my shadow. I never knew that losing your brother could hurt so much. And yet, it did. It hurt so much to the point where the blood loss was nothing, the scars were nothing, the wounds….

Nothing.

His hand is still soft even in death.

And I can't breathe.

But it's not overwhelming.

It's expected.

The door bursts open.

Even though the line between fantasy and reality is blurred, I can still see the door opening…can still see Italy approach us. He's covered in blood. He's crying.

And I feel awful that I'm the one to tell him that he has to go on.

That I wish him luck because I can no longer keep going. I want to stay here.

Until the end.

Always.

"A-America…" he squeaks out, his voice breaking. I can see that he's breaking. He's already seen death. He doesn't want to see anymore of it.

And yet, here I am, holding on to the last strands of life, feeling myself fade away.

He doesn't need to see it.

"Italy…go…" I say, trying to smile. I can't let him know that I'm in pain. I can't let him know that I failed as a hero. He doesn't need to know that because of my failure, that the two at my side are gone.

"America..." Italy repeats, taking a few steps forward, his shoes already coated in scarlet.

"Y-You…"

"Yeah, we'll be fine, so just get out of here and get us reinforcements or something," I say. It's a lie. And yet it's not.

I will be fine.

I will be.

I just won't be here anymore.

Italy backs up a few steps and he starts to wail. He's choking over his words and all I can do is watch as it gets harder and harder to breathe….

"Wait! In the meantime, even you will get hurt beyond help…"

And I know.

He has to get out of here.

Italy can't die. He'll make it out alive. I know it.

And I also know that deep in my heart, everyone else is gone. Or close to fading away.

I don't know what it is…maybe it's the ache in my heart. But I can feel it.

They're not here anymore.

No one but Italy.

"It's fine…" I manage to say, managing to keep my smile steady. The room is starting to swirl before my eyes and the deafening _drip drip_ of the blood as it spills from my clothes, from the bed sheets, from the walls…

It's everywhere…

"Besides, I want to do these two a favor and stay with them," I clarify. At this, my heart seems to snap and I have to fight back the tears.

Because I know that they're gone. And that I'll be going as well.

_Don't cry, America. You'll be seeing them soon. _

_You are the hero. You can't go to hell for that!_

Italy just stares at me. And I know that he sees through my façade. With the horrified widening of his eyes, I can see that Italy knows that they are gone. And that there is no hope for us.

_I'm sorry, Italy._

I sigh. "No, that isn't it. They can't hear me anymore, so I'll tell you in all honesty…"

My arms tremble weakly as I attempt to keep my grasp on both my brother's and England's hand. They're so cold, so wet with blood, so...

I can't feel them anymore.

Why can't I feel their hands anymore?

"I want to stay with them. Till my last moment," I say.

I want to close my eyes so badly. To just close them and let myself fade away.

But not yet. I can't let Italy see me die. Just a few more seconds…just…a…few…more…seconds…

"Because they're both very important to me."

My voice breaks. But I keep my smile.

I can't feel their hands. Am I still holding on to their hands?

_Don't worry, England…Canada. I'll join you two soon. Just hold on a little longer, 'kay?_

Italy falls to his knees. I force myself to stare into his anguished face. Goddammit. If he doesn't leave now, he'll see me breathe my last. I can't do that to him. The poor dude has seen enough.

I've done my best for him. I've done my best to protect him. He has to leave, dammit. He needs to understand that it's my time to go and that he can't let our efforts be in vain.

"And because you're going to…protect me…" he chokes out, his shoulders shaking and the tears cascading down his cheeks.

I let my smile drop. I can't do this anymore.

Everyone is gone.

But…it's okay, right? We're nations after all…there must be some way…

No.

It's over.

I'm not a nation anymore.

England also told me that everything has to end at some point.

This is it.

So I force a small laugh, not feeling the pain anymore. "Haha! Yeah. Even though I can't even move anymore…"

I realize that I am lucky.

So lucky to be here right now.

Surrounded by people who care about me.

Dying with people who love me. Always have loved me. Always will.

_I'm not making a mistake._

"But I'm not making a mistake…"

I force myself to look at England's face once more. I feel nothing but the single tear that rolls down my cheek.

_I regret nothing._

"And I regret nothing."

Italy stares at me, wordlessly. He understands. He knows it's time for me to leave now.

It's not his time.

But it is mine.

"Go for it. I wish you luck," I choke out.

I attempt to give him one last smile as he gets up, the tears spilling down his cheeks. I can faintly hear the sound of his footsteps, the sound of the door creaking open, the slam of it closing…silence.

Nothing.

And so, with one chuckle to myself, I breathe out, "Well, England. You…were…right…The whole…hero thing...it…really is…stupid isn't it?"

As expected…no response.

And it's okay.

I close my eyes and feel it all fade away.

I see England smiling at me, giving me those toy soldiers he had broken his hand making. I see Canada attempting to throw a baseball at me. England's extended hand….Canada laughing at some joke I made…

Darkness…floating…breathless…whirling…timeless….

_Every hero has their big epic fall at some point, don't they? _

_Well…I guess this is mine._


End file.
